


Your Enigma

by aidoruhakase



Series: Your Enigma [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Love, Love Confessions, Mystery, Original Character(s), Romance, Yuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-10 20:54:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7860751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aidoruhakase/pseuds/aidoruhakase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two girls, Hana and Tess, solve the mysteries of love together!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Beginning

Rain pattered endlessly on the library windows. Two girls spoke, in hushed tones, of murder. "Alright, how about this. You wait until the lights go out, and once everyone gets blinded by the man's flashlight, turn around, and shoot the wall, to make it look like you were the one being shot at. Then you turn back, shoot him, and throw the gun so it lands at his feet." The girl gestured at a diagram she had drawn, her red hair flowing passionately while she spoke. The paper was covered in similar drawings, with arrows and paragraphs describing what each one was. The second girl sighed. "Tess, aren't you ignoring a few things? First of all, it's mentioned several times that the man was shot from very close, since everyone thought it was a suicide or an accident at the beginning. Second, wouldn't everyone notice if a gun was shot right next to them? No one mentioned anything like that in their testimonies." Tess rubbed her chin, thinking deeply. "I could've sworn it was the colonel...I thought I had it." 

Tess gave gave the other girl a pathetic smile, trying to gain sympathy. Tessa Goldwyn was out of her element. She was a tall, athletic girl, a girl who's more likely to be seen running around outside than reading in a library. She was still wearing her track uniform, even though practice had been cancelled because of the weather. She wore a large, comfy looking jacket over it, since the library was kept rather cold. Her blazing red hair was kept in a neat ponytail at all times. She spoke softly, despite her fiery appearance. "C'mon, can't you give me a hint, Hana?" 

Hana Shiroyuki giggled, opened Agatha Christie's "A Murder is Announced", and pushed it across the table. Hana smiled, pushing her long black hair hair over her shoulder. She was a beautiful girl, one who could be confused for a model or a princess easily. She was tall, just like Tess, but with much less defined muscles, as though she had never worked out in her life. With bangs nearly covering her deep blue eyes, she seemed like a typical quiet girl, but she was anything but. She liked to talk, especially when it came to the things she loved. "I know you can do it. The whole ending is a little complicated, but you should be able to solve the crime. You've impressed me so far!" 

She grabbed one of the papers Tess had discarded. The handwriting was so messy she could hardly read what was written, but the diagrams were surprisingly detailed. Each one had locations of people, furniture, other objects, and the ways door opened marked clearly. "Hmm, I know it's cliche, but try thinking outside the box a little. Try and figure out the trick, and it'll all come unravel pretty easy. You've read enough to be able to solve it."

Tess ran her fingers through her ponytail. She crumpled up the paper she was working on and grabbed a new one. "Alright, let's try something crazy then." Hana smiled. She liked seeing her friend struggle like this. She liked the way Tess stuck out her tongue when she was focusing, and how her forehead gets all scrunched up when she gets confused. Hana opened up her own book, waiting patiently to be interrupted. The interruption didn't take long.

"Ah! This has to be it! It makes so much sense! Hana, look!" Tess held out her paper triumphantly, like a kid giving her mom a new drawing to put on the fridge. Hana looked over it carefully, doing her best to read the chickenscratch. Putting the paper down, she tapped the open book. "I think you can keep reading now." Tess' eyes sparkled with delight, and dove into the book. Hana tried to get back to reading as well, but Tess was a very vocal reader, with her "Ooh!"s and "No way!"s getting Hana's attention every time. She spent a lot more time peeking over her book to look at Tess than actually reading it. 

Suddenly, Tess closed the book, and looked directly into Hana's eyes. "You done?" Hana inquired from the other side of her book. "Yep. I thought you said I had it right this time!" Tess pointed her finger accusingly at her. "Hey, I never said anything like that! I just said you can keep reading!" "I was close, sure, but I was wrong! I didn't think it would happen like that!" Tess put her finger down and sighed. "Guess I'll never be as good at solving mysteries as you." "I had to start somewhere too! You've only read what, three or four? And you can already almost solve them!" Hana put down her book, resting her head on her hands. "Pretty cute if you ask me." "C-cute?" Tess blushed. "What's that supposed to mean?" "A-ah, I meant good! You've gotten pretty good! E-either way, there's still tons of other mysteries out there for you to solve, so don't give up now! I really like talking to you about them." Tess looked down, and spoke quietly. "Yeah, I know. I like talking to you too, so..." She trailed off. 

Hana clapped her hands together. "Well, how about we pick out a new one for you? I have a few ideas for the next one!" She held her hand out to the still despondent Tess. "Yeah, sure. Not so hard this time, alright?" She grabbed Hana's outstretched hand, and stood up. "To the mystery section!" The Golden Heights High School library had a surprisingly dense selection of mysteries. Short stories, novels, even movies. Tess spent time picking out books, with Hana giving her a short synopsis of each so she could see if she was interested. After Hana explained about fifty different books, Tess decided on one, and they headed back to their table.

"It's getting a little late, wanna head home for now?" Tess started throwing her stuff in her bag, not really waiting for an answer. "Sure! Did you already return the other book? I didn't notice." Hana started packing her stuff up too, neatly placing each thing in a specific pocket. "Huh? No, I was gonna return it when I checked out this one. Wait, where is it? It was right here..." Tess started frantically looking through all her scrap paper. "A bit of scrap paper isn't going to hide an entire book." Hana gracefully got down and looked underneath the table. "It probably got knocked off when you were throwing your things everywhere." Suddenly, Tess stopped. "Wait. Huh? What the heck? There's no way someone would..." Hana peeked her head up from below. Tess was holding an envelope. "Hmm? What's that, Tess? Is that yours?" "I-I guess so...Take a look." Hana stood up, and took it. "To Tess." The envelope's recipient was clear. As was its purpose. It was garishly decorated, covered in hearts. "It's gotta be, right?" "Yeah. A love letter."


	2. A Letter

Hana handed the envelope back. "So...I guess I'll open it?" Tess looked up at Hana, as though she was asking for approval. When Hana gave her a thumbs up, Tess began to nervously break the seal. "Tess, is this really your first time getting a love letter? I thought you'd have gotten a ton before. You're super popular with...well, everyone." Tess face grew red. "I mean, yeah, I've gotten a few confessions here and there, but I don't think anyone's actually written me a letter before." She pulled a single piece of paper from the envelope. As she looked over it, her confusion grew. "What's up? Is it creepy or something?" "No, it's just...a little strange. Here, let me read it." Tess cleared her throat and spoke.

"Dearest Tessa,   
I have loved you since I first laid eyes on you. Whenever you're around, it feels like I'm on top of the world. A single look from you can make my heart stop, like I've died and gone to heaven. I look up to you, and the strength you have. I want you to hold me in your warm embrace."

Both of their faces were flushed deeply. "I-it's pretty embarassing, but it's not that strange yet..." Hana squeaked out. "It's not done yet. That was just the beginning." Tess kept reading.

"It's obvious I'm not the only one who feels this way about you, I've only heard people say wonderful things of you. Beautiful, kind, friendly, loving. I know I'm not your only admirer, so I want to set myself apart. I know you've been reading mysteries lately, so, instead of telling you where to meet me, I want you to find me. I want you to solve my little mystery."

"Ooh, I like this girl already!" Hana interrupted. "So, what's the mystery?" Tess sighed. "There isn't much more written."

"I left a clue with you. That's where you start. I'll be waiting."

"Then it's just a bunch of hearts drawn to fill the rest of the page." Tess turned the page toward Hana so she could see. "Hmm, not much to work with at the beginning, just like a proper mystery. She's good. So, where's this clue?" "I was hoping you had noticed something. After all, you're the mystery master." Tess scratched her head, looking a little clueless. "I mean, I did notice a few things, but shouldn't you be the one solving this one? You have to respond to this person's feelings properly!" Hana smirked a little. "But if you need a little hint here and there, I can always give it, I guess." "Well, could you could help me get started, at least?" Tess put her hands together and pleaded.

Hana sighed through a smile. "Well, this person only gave you two things, so that's all you have to work with for now." "Two things? But all I got was the letter." "Sure, you have the letter, but wasn't there something else?" "There was? I didn't even notice!" Tess looked frantically through her things on the desk, turning the letter over back and front, spending a minute or two searching without results. Hana sighed again. "Tess, the envelope." "Oh. I didn't pay much attention to that." Tess let out a pathetic little laugh and picked it up.

There was nothing of too much importance on the outside, just a lot of hearts, and her name. She looked inside to see if she had missed an extra page of the letter, or a trinket, or something else she might have not noticed in the moment. "You always know exactly where to look, Hana. There's something written in here! This is pretty exciting, finding clues in real life!" Tess' face lit up with a smile, as she carefully took the envelope apart to show the message more clearly.

"It's a picture? I think it's copy of one of those cards in the back of library books, right?" Hana nodded. "Looks like one. What's written on it?" Hana moved closer, putting her head on Tess' shoulder to get a good look. "W-wha-" Tess turned her head towards Hana, who was inches away. Hana looked Tess directly in the eyes, and spoke softly. "Well? What is it?" Tess turned away quickly, blushing furiously. "I-it's the card for 'A Murder is Announced.' And my name is the only one on it. The others are blanked out." "And I think this is a real copy. That's your handwriting, right?" Hana pointed to Tess' name on the list. "Yeah, that's definitely my writing. Why?" "It means someone took this copy after you already checked out the book. That may be important." Tess' face lit up. "Oh! That's right! You're too good at this, Hana. I'm glad I have the Master Dectective of Golden Heights on my side!" Their laughter filled the air of the library. A loud "Sshhhhhhhhhh"ing sound came from the direction of the librarian. Their laughter quieted to restrained giggles. Whispering, Hana suggested the next move. "Well, the librarian is being friendly today, why don't we pay her a visit?"


	3. A Bit of Help

The Golden Heights librarian, Scarlett King, sighed. She pulled her thin beige cardigan tighter, trying to stay warm while reading a book about an arctic expedition. She dressed modestly, as one expects from a librarian, but with eye makeup that might be seen on an Egyptian queen. Her mahogany hair was tied back in a bun, mostly to keep it out of her way while she was looking down at a book. She heard footsteps, and was pulled out of her story. Looking up over a pair of thin rimmed circular glasses, the librarian glared at two approaching girls. 

She sighed before speaking. "What do you girls need today? Looking for a new mystery book?" Hana responded excitedly. "Nope, not today Ms. K! We have a real mystery on our hands this time!" Ms. K's face remained stoic and unamused, but played along regardless. "Oh? How interesting. And you need my assistance?" Tess placed the library card copy on Ms. K's desk. "Well, without explaining the whole thing, someone took my book, and left me this alongside a letter. Can you fill in the names?" Ms. K's face darkened. "Someone took the book?" She spoke in such a menacing tone that Tess took a step back. "Uh...yes ma'am...I went with Hana to go find another book and it was gone when we got back..." Ms. K's face somehow turned more serious than it already was. "Retrieve that book, or face the penalty." Tess flinched and couldn't articulate more than a surprised squeak, so Hana spoke up. "Don't worry, we'll find it! I'm sure it'll be an important clue in solving this mystery."

Ms. K leered at Hana. "Alright, fine. All that information is saved in the computers now, so I should be able to pull it up. Give me a few minutes." Ms. K grabbed the copy and started typing away at her computer. "Hey, Hana. What are we supposed to do when we have these names anyway? Go ask each one of them questions?" "Well, isn't that what usually happens? Talk to the suspects and all that?" Tess frowned. "Yeah, but...what if I get nervous while I'm asking questions? Any of them could be the girl who l-likes me after all." She started to blush, just speaking about it. "Don't worry. I'll be there with you. For backup!" Hana smiled and flexed her non-existent muscles. "Alright girls, got it."

Ms. K finished scribbling something onto the library card copy and handed it back to Tess. "There it is, all the names." Tess looked over the list, but something was wrong. "All the names? The first one is missing." Ms. K scratched her head. "Yeah, that one was checked out before we started using the computers to track things. Sorry about that. You two are seniors now so..." She counted the years on her fingers. "It was from when you were freshmen, if that helps." Tess' brow furrowed. "Hmm. Okay." "Well, we'll start with this! Thanks Ms. K!" Hana waved obnoxiously at the librarian, leading Tess away by the hand. "So, what're the names on this list?" "Well, there's basically only one." She handed the paper to Hana. The list of names were:

  * Hana Shiroyuki
  * Midori Honda
  * Tessa Goldwyn



Only those three names, and the first blank space. "Well, I'm on the list too, right?" Hana pouted, trying to act cute. "I mean, yeah, but, there's no way you could've stolen the book, right? So it can't be you." "Nice one, Tess! Good deduction. It's still early though, so don't rule anything out before thinking about it thoroughly." Hana gave Tess a little wink. "So, do you know this Midori girl?" "Yeah, really well, actually. She's the best freshman on the track team, so I help her out a lot during practice." "Sounds like she's going to be our first 'witness' then. Shall we go speak with Ms. Honda?" Hana smiled, and took Tess' hand. She started to lead the way, but stopped abruptly. "You don't know where she is, do you?" Tess sighed. "I...no." Hana laughed, scratching her head. Tess giggled along with her. "Don't worry, I think I know where she'll be."


	4. A Place to Run

"So, how do you know she'll be in there?" Hana grabbed an umbrella from the bucket of loaners. "She's super diligent, she'd even practice in this weather. I hope she isn't pushing herself too hard though..." Tess trailed off when she went for an umbrella too, but came up empty. "Last one, huh?" Hana stood underneath the open umbrella, smiling gently. "We can share." "S-sure, that's, yeah." Tess stumbled over her words, and moved under the umbrella, hiding her face from Hana. "Get a little closer, the umbrella is big enough for both of us!" Hana pushed her shoulder into Tess'. "I don't want you to get wet or sick or anything." Tess smiled. "Thanks, Hana."

The school's fitness center was a sight to behold. It was one of the largest buildings on campus, with a full workout area, basketball and tennis courts, and rooms for activities all sorts of activities, from fencing to yoga. Today, Hana and Tess were there to visit the elevated indoor track. It was on the top floor, hanging above the basketball courts. The air was strangely thin, since it was kept so cold in the fitness center, and so high up. The track team never used it to practice, since they had another dedicated track outdoors. However, one girl used it in cases like today. After all, if the weather was bad, Midori Honda needed somewhere to run.

Midori was a tall girl for her age, with strong legs, built for running. Her short, dark hair bobbed up and down with each of her powerful strides. She zipped around the track with a speed Hana has only seen from one other person: Tess. "You said she was fast, but...this is something else, isn't it?" "Yeah, but she's actually only the 8th best on the team. Golden Heights track is stacked. She has incredible potential though, and she works harder than anyone else." Tess looked at the speed demon with sparkling eyes. "I know she can become great." Hana looked at Midori again, breathing quickly, but at a perfect pace. Sweat glistened off her toned body, but she looked like it wasn't affecting her at all. She was incredible.

Tess waved at Midori, trying to get her attention. It wasn't until Midori was extremely close that she noticed the girls standing there, at which point she stopped on a dime. "Tessa! You're early!" Midori walked towards her, already breathing regularly. She held out her arms, as if going in for a hug, but stopped. "Oops, sorry. Forgot I was all sweaty." She laughed, and scratched the back of her head. "I thought you'd be here a little later, so I decided to run a little beforehand. So, what did you want to talk to me about?" 

Neither Hana nor Tess had gotten a word in before Midori finished everything she had to say. She grabbed a towel, and was wiping herself down as Tess began to talk. "Hi, Midori. I have a few questions for you." Midori looked surprised. "Oh, sure. Is she going to be here the whole time?" Midori pointed at Hana. "Huh? Oh, well, yeah she's helping me out. Wait, I was supposed to be asking questions!" Tess spat out flustered words. "A detective always keeps her cool, Tess." Hana said, smoothly. "Detective? What's this about?" Midori gave Tess another puzzled look.

"Well, I received a letter earlier. It was...well, I'm trying to find out who gave it to me. And your name came up on a list of suspects. It's not nearly as serious as Hana is making it sound." Tess laughed, trying to shake off the awkwardness she was making this seem like a formal investigation. "A...letter, huh..." Midori fell deep into thought, as though she was piecing something together. "Tessa, can you give me a moment to change? And we should find somewhere else to talk, it's a bit loud here." The squeaking of shoes and shouts from the basketball players below them were not aiding the conversation at all. Tess nodded. "Sure. The staff knows me here, so I can ask them to use on of the smaller rooms for a bit. I'll be right back!" 

Tess ran downstairs, and spoke to one of the workers at the front desk. After a short, friendly conversation, she got a key to one of the private training rooms on the second floor. She ran back up to the track to fetch Hana and Midori, displaying the keys triumphantly. "I got the keys! They're for one of the rooms on the second floor, room 242, so let's get to business!" She seemed more excited for this than she let on before. "Alright, let's go." Midori started walking down the stairs. No one followed her. Hana was gone. Tess' mood made a 180. "Midori, where's Hana?" "I told her to leave us." "What? Why?! I needed her here to help!" Tess raised her voice without noticing. "Please, Tessa, calm down. She agreed. She said she needed to do something anyway." Tess took a deep breath, and calmed herself. "Fine. But...why?" Tess gazed directly into Midori's eyes, who turned away. "Please, just understand. I need to talk to you...alone."


	5. A Few Questions

Tess turned the key to room 242. The door unlocked, be she hesitated for a moment before opening it. "Where did Hana go? Did she want me to do this alone?" Tess muttered to herself as Midori followed her in. Midori locked the door behind her. "I don't want anyone to interrupt us, if that's alright." "Y-yeah. That's no problem." Tess answered nervously. Room 242 was a practice room for judo, and other martial arts. There were no chairs, but much of the floor was a soft matting that was pretty comfortable to sit on. "Tessa." Midori spoke before Tess finished taking her seat. Tess looked up at her stern, serious face. "I have something I need to say to you, but I know you need to ask me some questions too. You can go first." Tess nodded.

Tess opened her mouth, but her mind went blank. "What am I supposed to even ask?" Midori jumped in to help. "I assume you want to know where I was when you go that letter?" "Yeah! Thanks, let's start there." Midori smiled. "Well, that must've been around 3:30 or so, right? I was here, running." "Oh. Well...how about this. Can you tell me the things you did starting from the final bell until the moment we met up with you?" Tess smiled, feeling confident that she asked a good question.

Midori closed her eyes and took a moment to think. She opened them, and began to recount her day. "After the bell rang at the end of the day, I grabbed my stuff and brought it back to my dorm room. I spent a little bit of time there relaxing, then changed and got the bag I usually use for track. I planned to go running in the fitness center since practice was cancelled today. As I was on my way, I realized I forgot something in class, and went to get it. Then I just went to the track and was running until you found me." When Midori finished her day's runthrough, Tess was silent. "That's it?" She was confused. There must be something missing, right? "That's it." Midori replied with a straight face.

"Hmm...okay. Let me get as much information as I can. What was the thing you forgot in class?" Midori hesitated before answering. "A letter." "A...letter? What was written in it?" "I can't tell you." Tess furrowed her brow. "Midori, I need to know if I'm going to figure this out. Can you please tell me?" Midori's face grew serious. "It has nothing to do with this. Please stop asking." "A-ah, fine. That's okay. If you say it isn't related that's fine. What else can I ask..." Tess trailed off, thinking. "Iis that all?" "Um, not yet. Did you go to the library at all today? Like...before you went to the track?" "H-huh? Why would I go to the library?" Midori's tone was defensive. And, for the first time Tess could remember, Midori stumbled her words.

Tess realized this and took a chance. "Then, would it be alright if I looked in your bag? My book was stolen, and I want to cross you off the list for sure." Midori's face contorted in fright. "No. I don't have your book. Please believe me." "I...just wanted to check..." Tess looked down. "I really do need Hana. I'm not cut out for this..." She accidentally spoke out loud. "Tessa, I'm sorry. I just...there's something in there I don't want you to see. Give me a minute to sort out my bag and I'll let you see." Tess nodded, still looking down. 

After a few minutes, Midori finished rummaging through her bag. She showed Tess a folder, stuffed with all sorts of different things, and a camera. "These are the things I didn't want you to see. It's not thick enough to hide that entire book. Here's my bag." Tess opened it, and saw very little of interest. Two water bottles, some towels, a textbook for math class. "Thanks, Midori." Tess had a smile on her face again. Midori smiled back. "That's all I can think of. Now, what did you want to say to me?" Midori looked away, grabbing her arm. "That's..." "It's okay, Midori! You really helped me out, I'm here to listen." Tess scooted close, putting her hand on Midori's shoulder. "Say what you need to." Midori looked up at Tess, biting her lip, trying her best not to cry. "Tessa...I've been keeping a secret from you, and I can't hold it in anymore."


	6. A Confession

"Can't hold it in? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Tess grabbed Midori by the shoulders, a concerned look on her face. Midori's face turned red. "Oh my gosh, you are sick! Look how red you are! And you were practicing like this?" She stood up, offering her hand to Midori. "Let's get you to the nurse's office!" Midori took her hand, and stood up. Tess tried to move, but stopped. Midori wouldn't budge. She was looking down at the floor. "You can't even move? It's worse than I thought! I'll carry you!" "You really are like that, aren't you, Tessa?" Midori lifted her head, her eyes filled with tears. "Mi...dori?"

"Tessa, I love you."

The words echoed quietly in the small room. The two girls remained silent. One waited for a response, the other, unable to reply. "Mi..." Tess couldn't even say her name. She couldn't say anything. Midori moved close, and embraced Tess. "It's alright. You don't have to say anything yet. Just please, for now, let me give you these feelings." Midori hugged tighter, and buried her head in Tess' chest. She felt Midori's tears seep into her clothes. Tess finally spoke. "Why are you crying?"

Midori looked directly into Tess' eyes. "Because I love you. I love you so, so much. It's hurt to keep it bottled up for so long. My emotions are all over the place. I'm so happy to tell you, and so nervous that I'm finally saying something, and worried about how you might respond. It's so much. I've loved you since the moment I met you." Tess recalled what the letter said. Midori could have been the one who sent it after all. But was this really it? But why would she lie before if she was going to confess now? "W...why?"

Midori looked shocked. "Why? Why wouldn't I love you?! You've been nothing but kind towards me, not like everyone else who just looks at me, jealous. You worked with me, and wanted me to be better. I look up to you, Tessa. I can't imagine life without you anymore. Your smile fills me with joy. It makes my day when you compliment me. You're so beautiful that my heart skips a beat every time I see you. You're like a rock, but a very fast rock, and one who gently nudges me forward with her warm, soft hands." Midori intertwined her fingers with Tess'. 

"You've supported me since we've met. Do you remember your first words to me? It was after the first time you saw me run. 'You were sparkling out there.' Those were your words. Ever since then, you've been there for me. But I want that support to be more than just as friends, or teammates. And I want to support you back! I want to return everything you've done for me, and this is the best way I know how. It's okay if you don't feel the same way yet, I just...I really do love you. I wish I had the words to express it but I don't. I've never been the best at explaining things, but..." She trailed off. Tears filled Tess' eyes.

"Just, won't you give me a chance?" Midori squeezed Tess' hands. She began to cry. At the sight, Tess couldn't hold her tears in anymore either. She squeezed Midori tight, and finally found words. She wouldn't lie to her. She couldn't lie to such a beautiful love. "Thank you. But I love someone else. I'm sorry I don't feel the same way." The girl who was barely keeping it together finally broke down. Her legs gave out, and Tess helped her gently fall to her knees. She cried, and wailed, a deep, sorrowful symphony. "I'm sorry." Tess uttered the words over and over again, as Midori cried in her arms.


	7. A Lead

Time passed, while the two girls held each other. After enough time, the tears stopped, but still, the two girls held each other. No sounds could be heard, save for their breathing, and the beating of their hearts. Each thought that nothing more needed to be said. Their feelings had been left bare. Time would pass, and those feelings would change. Each of them hoped that they would. Someday.

"Tessa." Midori spoke close to Tess' ear. "I'm okay now." The two let each other go. "You sure? Can you stand?" Tess stood, offering her hand to the girl still on her knees. She shook her head. "No. But that's okay. Let me stay here for a little longer." "Are you sure?" Tess bent down again. "Do you want me to sta-" Before Tess finished her question, a finger met her lips. "Thank you. For showing me that I fell in love with such a wonderful girl."

"Y'know, I started reading that book because I saw you were getting into mysteries. I asked my sister and she recommended it because she read it when she still went here. I was hoping you'd see my name on the card, and come talk to me about it, but...oh well. Not every plan goes perfectly, right?" She smiled. "I shouldn't keep you any longer. You have something to do, don't you?" Midori pulled a blank white envelope from the inside pocket of her jacket. 

"I got this in the mail one day. I...I don't need it anymore. And I don't want to keep it from you, anyway. You should probably read it." She held it out to her. Tess took it, and carefully opened it. There was a single sheet of paper inside. "Before you read it...can you leave? I don't think I want to be around when you read it." Tess nodded and smiled. "Thanks." A single word brought Midori to tears again. But, through those tears, she returned Tess' smile.

Tess gathered her things, and gave Midori the key to the room. Without speaking, Tess hugged Midori one last time, and got up to leave. As she walked through the door, she looked back one more time. Midori sat on her knees, with the key clutched to her chest. Still smiling, tears running down her face. The door closed. After Tess took a few steps, she heard the door behind her lock. 

Tess fell against the wall, and let out a long sigh. "That one hurt so much more than usual. I wish I could just return her feelings..." She sighed again, and opened the envelope. A short letter was all that was inside.

"Midori,

You've been hiding your feelings. This Friday is your last chance. She'll find you that day, I'm sure of it. Be ready. I won't lose to you. I'll be waiting in your room to hear what happens."

That's all that was written. "What? Is this for real?" Tess read through the short message a few more times, when she had a spark of inspiration. "The person who's waiting for her...they must be the one who sent me the letter! That's the only way to guarantee I'd be looking for her today." Tess ran to Midori's dorm room at full speed. It was still sprinkling outside, but she kept running. As she stepped into the dorm's lobby, she slowed down. "But...who's waiting for me? Won't they...confess to me too?" Tess shook her head and cleared her head. "There's only one person I'd say yes to, though, so that doesn't matter. Unless it's her, I'll reject them, every time."

She stepped into the elevator and hit the button for Midori's floor. She had been here a few times, so she remembered the room clearly. She stayed in a single, so there was no roommate to worry about. It was only that person. Tess had so many questions to ask, hopefully whoever this was would answer. "Well, she did setup this mystery for me, right? So, it's only right of the culprit to tell all!" She reached the room. #609. Tess gave the door a quick knock. There was no response. She knocked again. Still nothing. She reached for the handle. She turned it hard, expecting to get stopped by the lock, but she wasn't. She pushed it open.


End file.
